


Homerun

by 28crosses



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Baseball, Harry is clumsy, Louis and Harry - Freeform, M/M, No Smut, They love each other so much, my homerun, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 16:19:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16684966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/28crosses/pseuds/28crosses
Summary: Louis' meant for baseball greatness and Harry seems to be meant for Louis. High School sweethearts promise each other forever, but can you truly promise that?





	Homerun

Harry searched his bag for the third time, pushing back paper after paper and not finding his English essay. Where would he have put it? Gosh, today was the end of the world. First, he tried to push a pull door, second, he'd missed the last step on the stairs and nearly went face first into the floor, and now, a lost essay. Everyone else seemed to have luck with their Friday's, the end of the week and all that, but they always seemed to be the most disastrous for Harry.

He let out a sigh and went to slam his locker, only managing to make it so everything he had been holding, tumbled to the ground.

"Today truly isn't my day," he says, gently reopening his locker and bending down to grab his stuff. On his way back up with a handful, he only manages to bang his head on the bottom of the open locker.

"Are you okay?" he hears someone fret behind him, and he keeps his eyes closed at the embarrassment of someone seeing that. "Here, let me help."

Harry doesn't open his eyes as he hears some fumbling below him. No matter who it was, he was going to be the most embarrassed he'd ever been without fault once he found out. He kept his eyes closed even as the fumbling stopped and he heart a soft chuckle, he could only imagine the look in whoever this was eyes. Talked about for the rest of the day, another Harry Styles catastrophe. Thank God Gemma had graduated last year or he wouldn't have heard the end of his inability to do anything right.

"You can open your eyes, curly," he hears. "I think I got it all."

"I don't think I can open them."

"Did you hurt your head?" the voice worries.

Harry sighs, peaking with one open eye to see who it was. It was worse than his worst nightmare. He didn't even recognize the guy. New guy with an epic story of a Harry Styles fail, he was going to die. His entire face lights up pink as he squeaks, "Sorry."

"Hey," the guy says gently, pushing the locker door a bit away so Harry doesn't bang his head again. "No reason to apologize, everyone has those days. I'm lost, you're a klutz and we're both late for class. No problem."

"Lost?"

"New," he explains, offering Harry his books. Harry takes them, still eyeing the boy with the kind eyes. New and not making fun of him either. "I'm Louis, by the way."

"Harry," he supplies, putting his books away and grabbing his binder for the second half of the day. "I think I forgot an important essay at home, I was a bit dazed. I'm pretty much the klutz of the school."

Louis only smiles at him, "No worries there, mate. Walking around on two feet isn't as easy as we make it out to be."

Harry smiles at that, clearing his throat. "Um, we should, we should probably get to class."

"Any way you could point me to the Math building?" Harry does, and watches as Louis saunters away, seemingly unbothered by his tardiness. He then realizes that he is also late and ungracefully races off the opposite way to English, where he's sure to meet his death.

Once the class is out and he is thoroughly more embarrassed by his lack of essay and promptness, he meets his best mate for always out in the hallway. Niall's already grinning, which means he probably heard about every occurrence of Harry's terrible day, when he starts to walk towards him.

"Good day?" Niall teases, Harry just sighs. They walk together to the lunch room, Niall rambling about the many outrageous acts of Harry's inability to walk. He tuned it out, thinking instead about the boy he'd run into earlier. Louis. The name sounded warm to him, he hadn't even been teased for banging his head on his locker. Or dropping everything. He didn't even bother him about the fact that he was the school klutz, even after Harry told him. "You're off in space today, H."

"Sorry," Harry mumbles, realizing that they were now nearing the front of the line and he had to pay attention.

"You know you can just turn in your essay on Monday, right?"

"Yeah, Ni, I'm fine," Harry promises. So they grab their food and head off to their usual table. Niall begins to tell Harry of his morning and the incredible pass he'd gotten to Liam in gym this morning. The table filled and Harry listened, his mind wanting to wander anywhere but on school.

He'd never been so distracted, it seemed, but all he could think of was Louis' gentle smile as he'd promised him they were both a bit off today. Even if Harry was off every day, Louis hadn't made him feel that way at all.

In his subspace, Harry recognized when his dream world became less of a dream and more of a reality when Niall started snapping his hands in front of him. "Why are you spaced out staring at Louis?"

"What?"

"You're staring, H," Liam says with a chuckle.

"Oh," he says with a blush tinting his cheeks, not realizing it.

"He hasn't noticed or anything," Liam promised, seeing the tenseness creep into Harry's composure. "You good?"

"Fine, I banged my head into my locker earlier and he helped me out is all. He said he was new."

"He is," Niall says with a chuckle, "Came over for the last half of his senior year, plans to help us kick ass this year. We needed a better pitcher."

"Sure did," Liam agrees with a grin.

"His Mum got a better job at the hospital, better hours too. She had like a billion kids."

"How do you both know this?"

"He's like, the best high school pitcher out of New York, H," Niall says with a roll of his eyes, "Vanderbilt and LSU are coming out to Scout him this year."

"Is that good?"

"They're the best-"

But Liam quickly cuts him off and says, "They have the best baseball programs in the country, anyone who's anyone in baseball wants to be scouted by them if they're looking at school. They're like the Yankees of college baseball."

"That makes sense," Harry says, pushing his food around his plate, "He's that good?"

"Better," Niall says. "Can't wait for practices to start up so he can teach us some stuff."

"Does that mean these schools could scout you guys too, you're both really good. Best to me."

They both smile fondly, "Not everyone is as good as Louis."

"Maybe he'll make you better," Harry argues, "Maybe you'll make such a good team they have to take you. You graduate this year to, Li."

"Maybe," he says, not looking like he thinks so at all. The next week passes with Harry seeing Louis everywhere. He seems to turn up at the most random of times and he always smiles at Harry when he sees him. He can't get away and by next Friday, Harry is pretty much of obsessed with finding him everywhere. He even saw him at the local diner the night before when Anne had taken Gemma and Harry out for an easy dinner out. He couldn't seem to go anywhere without Louis showing up. Like, he was headed out of the bathroom and literally ran into him because Harry couldn't even use the bathroom safely anymore. It began to get hypnotizing. Every corner, Louis seemed to be there waiting to offer a smile that made Harry's heart flutter in his chest and his breath catch.

"Maybe it's because you know where to look now," Liam said after one of Harry's many awkward smile exchanges with Louis. "You see him once and now you just see him everywhere. That happens with cars for me all the time. I see one I like and then I see it no matter where I am around town."

"He's a person, though."

"I think you like him," Niall says, eyeing Harry. "I think that you might have a big crush on him."

Harry's cheeks blaze as he looks down at his food, because he'd thought about that too. And the flutter in his chest every time Louis notices him basically confirms it. His friends eyes go wide, "Oh, my God, you do!"

"Shut up," Harry mumbles.

"Oh, my God," Niall says with an ear splitting grin, "You haven't had a crush since you told us you were gay, this is huge."

"It's not that huge," Harry mumbles, his cheeks only reddening.

"Soph is going to freak," Liam says, smiling over at his girlfriend's table.  
"H has a crush."

"Stop," Harry says with no real force. They tease him for the rest of lunch, harmless stuff that just causes Harry's cheeks to never be any other tint than red for the rest of the lunch period. Even though he leaves the table quite annoyed, he's thankful for how accepting they are.

A month passes and Harry only becomes more distracted. He works hard, does all of his homework and makes sure he doesn't let the distraction filter into his classwork, but still can't seem to breathe right when Louis passes him in the hall with a little wave. Niall and Liam constantly jab him and chuckle when they recognize Harry's bashful, "Louis' here" look. But it doesn't truly become an issue until baseball season starts.

After a week of practices, Louis and Niall had hit it off so well, that Louis liked to sit at their table for lunch. And since cheer season was over, Sophia and Anna sat with them as well. Louis also brought a boy named Zayn who Liam talked to a bunch and a lot of the baseball guys sat down the table. Harry spent most of his lunches pretending he wasn't living for every word Louis spoke. He rarely took part in conversation, and when he did, he turned into a blushing mess. Being the youngest in the group was finally starting to catch up to him but he supposed this was better than being dubbed the weird kid Niall and Liam sat with every day.

When their first home game came along, all of them dressed up. Game day required their best dress, Liam explained. Coach wanted them to show that they were studious while also being athletes.

"You'll be there, yeah?" Niall asked, leaning against the lockers while Harry searched through his for his Math homework.

"Haven't missed a game once in the last three years," Harry says with a roll of his eyes. He glances behind Niall as he does every morning when he hears Louis' laugh only to be stunned into silence. While Niall had pulled on an old polo and a pair of dark jeans, Louis had decided on a cardigan and nice black pants that showed of the muscles in his thighs that Harry never let himself focus on. He looked like an absolute dream walking down the hallway next to that pretty dark haired boy that never spoke, Zayn. Harry didn't even realize he'd dropped his books in his surprise.

"Harry, Harry," Niall was saying, trying to get him out of his state of shock. Louis caught his eye then.

"Dropping books seems to be your favorite thing to do," Louis says, giving Harry a gentle smile even though he could feel the tease. The two things didn't match up, and the blue in his eyes sparkled like the ocean with the sun's rays shining on it.

"He likes to break people's ankles," Niall says sourly, handing Harry his books back. His cheeks flame at that.

"Sorry, sorry," Harry mumbles, trying to catch his breath. "Yeah, I'm, I can't, I don't, I was, my hands-"

"Harry," Louis says calmly, his eyes still kind, "No worries, yeah, Niall is okay. I was only teasing."

"Yeah," Harry says again, sure his face was about to blow up. "Yeah, okay."

"Speak for yourself," Niall mumbles.

"See you at lunch," Louis promises with a laugh aimed at Niall and a smile aimed at Harry.

"He praises you for breaking my foot," Niall says with a sigh, "Think he might like you too, H."

"Shut up," Harry says, feeling like he was on fire. Even he couldn't deny he felt the same.

After the game was won and the boys had headed off to the showers, Harry found himself sat with Sophia and Zayn on the bleachers. Soph had her phone out and was texting away enthusiastically, but Zayn sat quietly like Harry, watching the sky darken as the sun went down. Harry had to admit that Louis was incredible, his form and posture were perfect. His skill completely unheard of for the little town in Tennessee. They'd gotten lucky and it was clear the boys were ecstatic to have him on the team.

"Think they'll party?" Zayn asks quietly.

"Not tonight," Harry shakes his head, "This weekend."

"You going to go?"

"No," Harry shakes his head, "Not too comfortable with drinking."

"Good on you," he says, looking back out at the setting sun. They sat their quietly while they waited for their friends. Liam was going to drive Harry home and Zayn said Louis would be driving him.

"He has a car?"

"Bought it himself out in New York."

"Himself?"

Zayn smiles, "He's a good guy for a Yankee. Makes me feel a little less like an outcast around here."

"Me too," Harry says softly, seeing Louis, Liam and Niall make their way over. Sophia jumps up happily, running to meet them.

"You know," Zayn says, watching Sophia run into Liam's arms, "He wants to know you about as much as you want to know him."

"What?"

"I'm not stupid, none of us are," Zayn says, thinking for a moment and then grinning, "Well, Louis is a bit. Just, talk."

"I'm not very good at that."

"He is," Zayn promises and then he's standing up to join the rest of them. Harry doesn't move for a moment, happy to sit there and never get up again. But then Louis looks around, and when his eyes land on Harry, a big grin lights up his face and he motions him over to join them. Harry does, and he figures that he'll probably never stop wanting to make Louis smile just like that ever again.

Things don't much change after that, but at the same time they do. Zayn begins to talk to Harry more, and the difference causes Louis to pay attention to him more as well. They sit together for every game and become friends quicker than even Niall and him had when they were kids. He even convinces him to go out to a party at the start of April. They just sit around a fire outside, cuddled together even though it wasn't too chilly in the humid night. Everyone was drinking except Harry as he still wasn't much into that part of it and after what felt like forever, Louis came to sit next to him.

As the conversation began to lull, and people began to head home, Louis only seemed to get braver. He asked gently, "Do you think I'll get into Vanderbilt, Harry?"

He can sense Niall and Zayn's eyes on them, but he keeps his eyes on the fire. Louis' stress was evident, and had been for a few weeks now. The playoffs were starting next week and Louis had become increasingly tenser with the prospect of having scouts come to watch him. So Harry chose to be honest, "I think if you play like you have this week, you'll get in but know you haven't done your best. Play like you have the rest of the season and you'll get in no doubt."

"Have I been shit this week?"

"Still better than almost anyone," Harry comforts, "But you can do better."

"You're a tough judge, curly, I wasn't expecting that."

"Just know you can do better," Harry says, finally turning to look at Louis. He looked completely radiant lit by the flames. His eyes were shining as he looked over Harry's expression. "I think you know you can, too."

"You're right," Louis agrees, his eyes not leaving Harry's. "Do you think you could promise me something?"

"Depends," Harry says, hypnotized.

"If I play up to your standards at our first playoff game next week, will you allow me to take you out?"

Harry's cheeks redden, but there's no teasing in Louis' eyes. They sparkle with what feels like hope. So Harry nods, "Yeah, but my standards are quite high."

"I'd hope so," Louis says, a smile lighting up his face. "I'll play better, I've got a reason now."

Sure enough, they win their first playoff game three to one. After the game, the team celebrates with a pizza run and eventually settle at Niall's house. That's where Louis finally catches up to Harry. He sits next to him, handing him a plate with two pieces of pizza, and asks, "Did I meet your standard, curls?"

Harry grins, seeing the delight in Louis' eyes at his win. He says, "I think you still let someone get a run off you."

"A perfect game, then?" Louis asks, his eyes full of mischief, "That's what you need?"

"A nearly perfect one is close enough," Harry promises.

"Yeah?"

Harry bites his lip, knowing Niall will probably cheer and yell the second he says yes to Louis, "Yeah."

"Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow?"

Louis just leans into Harry, completely content, and says, "Don't want to wait, just want to be with you."

So the next night, Harry is trying to find the perfect casual outfit to wear only fifteen minutes before Louis is supposed to be there. Apparently time passes quicker when you have no idea what you're doing. He was beyond nervous. Sophia had calmed him down to a point earlier that afternoon, but she had to leave for a planned afternoon with Liam and Harry had only gotten more nervous than he was before after that. This was his first date, and it was with a senior boy, what if he expected stuff of him. But then he comforted himself by remembering it was Louis, and ever since the first moment they'd met, Louis had never pressured him in anything.

"Honey?" his Mom asked, tapping on his door.

"Not now, Mom."

"Can I help?"

He thought only for a moment before pulling on his favorite jeans and opening his door, "I need a shirt that says 'hi i really like you but don't want to come across as an idiot' but is also comfortable and doesn't show armpit sweat."

She only chuckled and went to his closet, picking out an old Queen shirt and his favorite sweater. She handed it to him, kissed his cheek and said, "In case it gets cold." He smiled and watched as she went back downstairs as the doorbell rang. He pulled on the clothes, took a deep breath, grabbed his phone and wallet and headed down the stairs.

Louis was there looking completely comfortable in khaki's and his favorite Yankees shirt, a cardigan tied around his waist. He smiled and asked,  
"Ready?"

"Be back soon, Mom," Harry said, kissing her cheek.

"Don't be gone too late."

"No worries," Louis promised as they walked out the door. Louis held open the car door and Harry got in with a blush, he wondered how often he'd do that tonight. When Louis got in the other side he asked, "Ready for a bit of a drive?"

"Anything," Harry said. Louis smiled and turned the car on, Linkin Park playing softly. Harry's anxiety over the date didn't subside until about 20 minutes into the car ride. They talked mostly of school and baseball, their family and Louis' college hopes. But it eased Harry's mind to know that it wasn't going to be awkward, they were friends, and they’d gotten there in the last few months. They could talk like this and it be okay. By the time Louis had parked, he was completely comfortable. "Where are we?"

"It's a nook me and Zayn found," Louis explained, "I like to drive and Zayn likes remote places, so he said this area was nice and we found this. If you walk a bit, there's a pretty pond with an incredible view of the hills over there. No trees in the way. I figured you weren't one for movies or a fancy dinner, you like art. There's nothing better than a sunset."

Harry stared for a moment, wondering how Louis had so easily picked that up. He'd figured they'd end up at a drive in movie because that seemed to be where all first dates took place. "You picked up on that?"

"I've picked up on a lot for the last little while," Louis said with a shrug, "You're quite the photographer."

Harry blushes at the idea of Louis noticing something he kept so secret. "You know about that?"

"Zayn talks too, you know," Louis says softly, finally turning the car off, "And you like to walk around town on the weekends, when you aren't with Niall. Your landscapes are my favorite."

"I don't really know what to say," Harry admits, looking back to Louis who softens with the confusion Harry has in his eyes.

"I like you," Louis says simply, "I notice you. I want you to know that."

"I notice you too," Harry whispers, "Ever since you didn't pick on me for banging my head, you've seemed to be everywhere I look."

Louis grins at that admition and says, "Good, because I haven't stopped noticing you either. Now come on, I've got blankets and sandwiches in the back."

They sit together, talking more about photography. Louis asks him if he does any more, asks him if he plans to pursue it or go a different route with his studies in the future. They talk more about baseball, about the best World Series games and their favorite players. They talk about school almost being done and the upcoming playoff games. Only three more series if they kept winning before the championship game. They watch the sunset, Harry's back to Louis' chest and an easy silence between them. Harry knew it was too soon to think about wanting this forever, but he couldn't help it. He felt so content, wanted and appreciated sitting there with Louis. He never wanted to be anywhere else.

"Ready to go?" Louis asks a bit later, the darkness starting to take away from the glow of the night.

"I want to stay here forever," Harry says back truthfully.

Louis chuckles, pressing his lips to Harry's hair, "I need to make a good impression on your Mom, darling. Can't keep you all night this time."

The implication that there will be a next time is what allows Harry to stand up, pulling Louis up next. They only allow the closeness for a few moments before they pack everything up and head back to the car. The car ride back is mostly quiet, comfortable. The music offers the necessary noise. It felt like Harry was under a spell, the way the night passed by as Louis drove. He was happy. He was comfortable. And as Louis gently entwined their fingers over the center console while Harry stared out the window, he realized he felt free.

The week after their date consists of three playoff games that they won all of. Harry cheered for his three friends and talked with his fourth. He felt like he finally belonged somewhere after feeling so out of place for such a long time. And after each game, they ended up at Niall’s endlessly celebrating. Louis took Harry out again that weekend, this time to a drive in, where both Iron Man’s were shown. That night, when Louis dropped him off, he pressed a kiss to his cheek and promised they’d see each other at school Monday. Two weeks passed and they were in their final set of playoff games, Louis was nervous since they’d lost the last game and made it so he had to win this one for them. Even Harry couldn’t shake his nerves. So Harry forced him to take a walk with him before he changed for the game.

They walked hand in hand along the track, both quiet. Harry knew Louis would talk when he was ready. So after about ten minutes he said, “What if we don’t win tonight?”

“Then you don’t win.”

“How can you just say that,” Louis says, turning to him and stopping their walking, “My entire future lies on this game.”

“Your future lies here,” Harry says softly, pointing to Louis heart. “Play your best and you’ll get your scholarship. We both know that you can win this.”

“What if I can’t?”

“You still haven’t pitched my perfect game,” Harry says, wrapping his arms around Louis and tucking his chin into his shoulder. Louis relaxes a bit as he wraps his arms around him. “You’ve got a reason.”

“My reason,” Louis agrees, pulling away enough to look into Harry’s eyes, “Thank you.”

“You’ve got this.”

“And even if I don’t,” Louis says softly, pressing their lips together for the first time, “I’ve got you.”

“You do,” Harry says breathlessly. They win and Louis makes sure that Harry knows he won before the game even started. They kiss a lot that night, and Harry can’t bring himself to care about the people watching them, he’s just happy.

Louis gets offered a full ride to Vanderbilt after losing their third game of the Championships. They come back the fourth and win it all, becoming the best high school baseball team in the state of Tennessee. The team celebrates all night and the next day, Louis takes Harry to the classiest Italian restaurant in the county. They’re on a high the rest of the school year and graduation comes much too quickly. Harry sits with Jay and all of Louis’ sisters and cheers with the rest of the school when Liam, Sophia, Zayn and Louis toss their caps.

Louis and Harry barely spend a single day apart over the next two months. Harry helps him with everything he can, getting more and more nervous as the time passes and Louis gets closer to leaving. It’s not that he thinks Louis will break up with him, it’s just that, he’s nervous he won’t want to keep him once he’s been there for a while. He tells his Mom as such and she only promises that Louis wouldn’t have pursued him so late in the year if he had meant to just tag him along, he wasn’t like that.

Two days before Louis’ set to leave, they’re sitting outside on a blanket as they have during the more humid summer days, and looking up at the clouds. They’re laying shoulder to shoulder with their feet on opposite sides so all they have to do is turn their face to press their lips together. It’s as close to cuddling as this weather could allow. “Hey, Lou?”

“Darling?” he murmurs in acknowledgement, sounding half asleep.

“You think you’ll still want me in a few months.”

“I’ll always want you.”

“Even with school, being an hour and a half away and stuff, you’ll still want me?”

“Harry, I don’t want you because you’re so close,” Louis says softly, “It’s nice to have you a five minute walk away, but I don’t want you because of that.”

“What if that changes?”

“It won’t.”

“What if I’m holding you back?”

“Hey,” Louis says softly, forcing them both to turn onto their sides so they can look at each other, “I want this. I wouldn’t have asked you out four months ago if I didn’t, love. It feels like we’ve been seeing each other forever, doesn’t it? Like we’re meant for each other.”

“Yes, but-”

“Want you to listen to me,” Louis says, so Harry does. “I’m not letting this go just because there’s this idea going around that everyone in college is always fucking around with people. It’s a bit early to say this, but I think I might always want this. We’re going to be okay. I want you. I want this. You make me better, you’d never hold me back.”

“Do you promise?”

Louis sits up, pulling Harry with him. They situate themselves so they’re sitting cross legged and Louis says, “I hit a lot of homeruns this season, curly. I had my best season ever. I had the best cheerleader, team and motivation. I helped win the championships for a team that’s never been passed the second set of playoffs. I have never felt more myself than I have here, and yet, the thing I’ll remember most is that first day I met you and you pointed me to the math hallway. Do you hear me? You’re my homerun this year.”

“Do you promise?”

Louis gently caresses Harry’s cheek and leans in to press their lips together softly, “I promise.” Harry breathes much easier from then on.

Harry figures out rather quickly that College isn’t the travesty he imagined it to be. Nothing really changes with Louis other than they only see each other on weekends rather than every day. They study together most Saturday’s and end up spending Sunday either at home or with Louis’ school friends. And when baseball season starts up, Louis goes to every game he can and watches the ones he can’t on TV. The next summer, they once again spend every moment possible together. That’s when it gets difficult.

Harry’s in his senior year and constantly stressing about anything and everything. He’s in a long distance relationship and starting to feel the long distance part of it. With Niall gone, he doesn’t have much for friends and driving out to college every weekend feels like he’s cheating out studying time for tests he needs to get good marks on. So he starts seeing Louis less, talking to Louis less and just feel miserable. He doesn’t even notice until late on a Friday night when Louis shows up with flowers and Harry says he can’t.

“You can’t?”

“I have to read a book, write a paper and have an unbelievable amount of math homework I don’t even understand. I can’t this weekend, Louis.”

“Well, I’m here, I can help!”

“You should’ve called.”

Louis’ eyes darken at that, “I did, you didn’t answer. As usual. So I decided to surprise you.”

“I can’t fight tonight, Louis, I need to do this. I don’t have-”

“Time,” Louis interrupts, “I get that. Let me help.”

“You can’t.”

“I can’t?”

“Louis-”

“Can I come in?”

Harry hadn’t even realized he hadn’t even let him in the door, and moves aside so he can. Once the door is shut Louis looks up and down Harry, “You’ve grown.”

“Louis you saw me-”

“Yeah,” Louis says softly, the hurt in his voice evident. “It’s been about a month now, Harry. Been starting to think you don’t want me anymore.”

“Don’t want you?”

“Tell me what I should think about you ignoring my calls, never texting me back and ignoring me for a month. Baby,” Louis says softly, forcing him to look at him, “I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I miss you. I need you to know that if you don’t want me, you can tell me.”

“I want you,” Harry says, his heart shattering, “I’m so overwhelmed. I’m so sorry.”

“Stop, no,” Louis says soothingly, walking them over to the couch and pulling Harry into his arms. Harry hadn’t even realized he was bigger than Louis now, he didn’t know anything anymore. “Hey, baby, it’s okay, I know you’re stressed. I know. That’s why I came. I want you, I want you to know I want you, even if you’re pushing me away.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Harry whimpers, his eyes flooding.

“I know, darling,” Louis hushes him, “Come on, let’s get you some tea. Take a break. And we’ll figure this out, yeah? Where’s Mom?”

“Gemma and her went out for dinner.”

“So it’s just us, okay, let’s get some tea and calm down. Let’s figure this out.”

They sat for hours, Louis telling him about everything that’d happened in his first semester and his exceptional grades. Harry cried realizing he hadn’t grasped that before now, he cried when he found out a lot of things. He hadn’t been there for Louis while he was feeling Louis hadn’t been there for him. He cried a lot as they talked until he finally came to the conclusion, “I don’t deserve you.”

“None of that,” Louis says with an easy smile, “We just got out of touch, H. It happens.”

“I don’t want it to ever happen again.”

“Then it won’t, yeah?”

Harry nods, wishing he was as sure of it as Louis. “I always thought it would happen, that we’d get out of touch, but I guess after last year went so perfectly I just assumed we’d be okay, no matter what.”

“We are okay,” Louis murmured, but Harry shook his head.

“I stopped being who you need because I thought we were safe, but I promise,” Harry says, reaching across the table and taking Louis’ hand, “I promise I’ll never stop being who you need again.”

“You’ve always been what I need, love.”

“Stop that,” Harry says sadly, knowing he hadn’t been.

“Hey, I won’t,” Louis says, walking around the counter and placing himself between Harry’s legs. He pushes some loose curls out of his face and kisses his forehead before saying, “I’ll never stop letting you know how much I need you. I love you, H. Love takes a lot out of you, good and bad. I promised you a long time ago that I wanted this, that I probably always would and I promised that’d stick forever. Yeah? You’re my homerun, Harry. I’m sure you always will be.”

Harry lets his forehead drop to Louis’ shoulder as he takes what feels like his first breath since Louis turned up at his door. He kisses the skin there and whispers, “I love you as much as our first sunset, I’ll love you until our last.”

“It’s you and me forever,” Louis promises, kissing into Harry’s curls, “Now let’s get upstairs and studying.”

“I love you,” Harry sighs as Louis walks him upstairs to his room.

They don’t get out of touch again. The year finishes out with Louis’ first championships win in college and Harry’s graduation. He’s accepted to Vanderbilt’s program of art and photography and plans to spend four years there with his superstar of a boyfriend. They get an apartment and spend one completely perfect year, that ends with another win for Louis, together.

That next summer, Louis gets offered an early spot on the Yankees minor league team. He’s never thought about not finishing school before and there were a lot of sleepless nights of them bother wondering what would be best. For Louis, and for them. Scranton, Pennsylvania was a long way from Tennessee and it scared Harry to think that they’d be so far apart from each other for a few years. He had to remember to not be selfish, to allow Louis to make the decision on his own, but it drove a wedge between them as they talked about everything but what they needed to.

On a rainy Sunday morning, Louis finally said, “It’s the Yankees, Harry. The New York Yankees.”

Harry pushed some hair out of Louis’ eyes as they lay in bed, kissing him lightly on the lips, and finally saying, “Then you have to do it.”

“School?”

“They’ve already said that you can do this semester, do Spring Training and then come back in the Fall to finish, Lou.”

“You?”

“Will be here, always.”

“Us?”

“Will never get out of touch again, just like we promised.”

“Are you sure?”

Harry searches Louis’ eyes, wondering if his doubts are of them or baseball. When he realizes the doubts are of Harry’s honesty, Harry says, “I’m sure of you.”

“Promise?”

He leans forward to gently press his lips to Louis’ forehead and says, “I promise.”

The craziest year they ever had begun at the start of 2014. Derek Jeter himself became Louis’ mentor as he spent time on the DL, and more often than not the brightness in Louis’ eyes on their many skype calls was inspired by that of his hero. Harry was proud to call Louis his, and that summer, he spent more time in Scranton that he ever imagined spending anywhere but in Tennessee. He started to wonder if their future would bring them somewhere other than the State he grew up in, and he found that he didn’t mind wondering. Louis finishes out school that fall semester and graduates with incredible marks in sports casting while also being hired by the Rail Riders in Scranton full time.

Their first year apart is terrifying, but as they both promised each other, they never get out of touch again. The second year is full of preparations for Harry’s graduation and a huge move to Scranton. There isn’t a third year. They spend a few years in Scranton and then at the start of 2018, Louis gets called up to be a major league baseball played for the New York Yankees. A dream come true in every sense. They move to the City in February and Harry finds the perfect in with the Bronx Zoo where he becomes the head photographer of the updating of the well-being of their animals. Their days are hectic and log but they always end up back together at the end of the day in a perfect little apartment only ten minutes from the Stadium. They’re fifteen floors up and have a fire escape where Harry spends most of his free time editing, writing or reading. They’re living their life exactly as Harry always thought they would, together, even if it’s different than how he thought.

On a chilly night just before Louis’ first Opening Day, they’re staring out at their relatively new view when Harry says, “Remember on our first date, when I said I never wanted to leave and you told me you had to make a good impression on my Mom.”

“Yes,” Louis says with a chuckle, leaning more into Harry, “I was bigger than you then.”

“Hadn’t grown into myself yet,” Harry argues.

“Just a baby,” Louis agrees. “Why do you ask?”

“Did you think that eight years from that moment, we’d be sitting on a fire escape in New York City waiting for your first game as an official New York Yankee?”

“I never could’ve thought of this,” Louis whispers.

“Back then, I always thought we’d be living right outside of Nashville. You’d work for our school and get some fancy announcers job, wear a suit every day with your college baseball legacy and come home to me working on some new landscape for wildlife magazine. It was like a dream, to think of our perfect little home in Tennessee, to think of all the pictures I’d be taking, what I’d travel for. But it was only a dream, you know. But somehow I had to mourn it.”

“What do you mean?”

Harry purses his lips, figuring out how to word what he was about to say in the correct way. “I wanted that life for us, more than anything. It was simple, you know. It was close to our families, it was safe and it meant a lot to be in the hills where I grew up. The only place I knew. It wasn’t until I went out to Scranton with you that I realized, maybe I wanted more, not just for you, but for me too. It was then that I realized that my home wasn’t Nashville, Tennessee, it was you.”

“Oh, Harry, stop,” Louis complains fondly.

“I’m serious,” Harry says softly, looking out at the City around them. “I never thought sitting out here on a cold March morning would feel so comfortable, but here I am doing it anyways. I never thought seeing my Mom every three months would be enough, but it is. Because I’m happy here. I love working with the Zoo and knowing that every day I get to come home to you. I love baseball more than I ever thought possible and I love you more and more every day as I realize how much you’ve opened my eyes in the last eight years.”

“Harry, I wouldn’t be here without you. I wouldn’t have won that last Championship game without you cheering me on. I wouldn’t be me without you.”

“And that’s why it’s time,” Harry said, finally looking at Louis, who just looked confused.

“Time for what?”

“It took me a long time to figure out that I belong wherever you are, it broke my heart to leave Tennessee and everything and everyone I knew behind. I tried to hate it here, because I wanted to go home and I was prepared to put up a fight to make you go back with me. But out of the eight years we’ve had together, this last month has been the happiest of my entire life. It’s time to get married.”

“Married?” Louis asked, shock crossing his features. “God, I always knew that’d happen, but really, now?”

“I want you forever, Louis. I want this forever. I want this month to live on in infamy and I want to be more than your home run,” Harry says, tilting Louis’ chin up so their lips can meet. They press together for only a moment, and Harry only pulls away enough to say, “I want to be your grand slam.”

“Married?” Louis asks, putting his hands on either side of Harry’s face as his grin widens at the cliché baseball innuendo. “You think we’re ready to get married?”

“I am,” Harry confirms.

Louis searches his eyes, his smile widening. And he laughs, joyfully and radiant as the sun trying to pop out from behind the clouds. “We’re going to get married?”

“Married,” Harry says.

“You’re my fiancé?”

“You’re mine,” Harry answers before sealing their lips together.

Baseball season begins and Louis takes off. Everyone is talking about him, his arm better than any rookie pitcher ever before. He wins fifteen straight games before they pull him out for a break only to put him back in because he kept them winning. Harry traveled as often as he could and went to every home game he could manage. Niall and Liam came up every other weekend there was a home game and even though he was alone more often than he wasn’t, Harry never felt lonely. They’d gotten good at being apart, and whenever Louis came home, they were even better at that. Zayn came to every playoff game at the end of that year and Louis was just short of getting them to the Series. It was easily the best year of their life, and 2019 had plans only to be better.

The week before they were meant to be married, Harry came home early from work to see Louis dancing to Debussy’s Claire De Lune in joggers and a big t shirt that was probably Harry’s. He instantly pulled him into his arms and they danced around the kitchen, giggling and feeling every little bit of love they’d have for each other since they were just kids. After a while, the tune turned softer than it already was and they stilled, still wrapped around each other in their little kitchen.

“I want kids some time, you know,” Louis said as they swayed slowly. “Three of them. Two girls and a boy. I want them to grow up loving the Yankees and knowing that their parents are high school sweethearts who made it till the end. Smart kids, who go off and get their degrees and do whatever they want in a world that we push them into. I want them to know how much I love you. I want them to look up to us and say ‘Wow, my parents were that in love’ one day.”

“I’ll get you kids,” Harry promises, kissing Louis’ forehead. “They’ll have your eyes and balance and they’ll have my curls. I’ll get us kids.”

“You promise?”

“I promise,” Harry whispers as they continue to sway in the kitchen.

For five years after that, they figure out baseball life and get a place right outside of the City. They grow together as husbands and people, and finally, get a baby of their own. A few years later, they get another and not too long after that, another. Louis has a whole squad of cheerleaders at his games and Harry feels like even though Louis’ always called him his Homerun, he’s the one that won the game.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me at @helianthuslou on twitter if you maybe wanna tell me what you think :) thanks for reading!!


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